Intersection Column | Connecting Through History

mtlmagazine
Jun 9
5 min read

What resilient women and failed rebellions can teach us about each other

by Christine Hill Suntz

On January 1, 2021, I made a resolution. This was the year I would finally write the story that had lived in my heart and imagination for years.

I’m sure you remember 2021. We were in the thick of COVID-19. We faced challenges we never imagined. Many of us rethought our goals and tried something new. I decided I didn’t want to spend my life wishing I’d written a book. I wanted to do it.

Little did I know how much work was ahead of me.

After three years of rejections and rewrites, my book found a home with Tyndale House Publishers. I’m so thrilled to share James and Sara’s story and the fascinating slice of Canadian history they lived through. I set my debut novel, The Lawyer and the Laundress, in 1837 Toronto. The year and the place are no accidental choice. In 1837, Toronto was the site of the short-lived Upper Canada Rebellion, a home-grown attempt to overthrow British control of the colony and replace it with a more equitable democracy. Every Canadian child learns about this rebellion in school, and it has lived in my imagination for years.

On December 7, 1837, a group of settlers, mostly farmers, came together at an inn north of Toronto under the leadership of William Lyon Mackenzie, a fiery Scot whose rhetoric united them against the injustices perpetrated by the ruling class. Inequitable land grants, poor infrastructure and lack of representation in government angered many newcomers. These men and women hadn’t uprooted their families and spent their life’s savings to come to Canada, only to be servants and farm laborers for an elite ruling class. They had grander goals. They wanted to own their own land and educate their children. Vote in elections and know their vote would mean something.

Among these new immigrants were two literary sisters, Catharine Parr Traill and Susanna Moodie. With their husbands, they immigrated to Canada in the early 1830s and wrote about their experiences. I first read Susanna Moodie’s memoir, Roughing It in the Bush, still a beloved Canadian classic. Later, I discovered Catharine Parr Traill’s guidebook for newcomers, The Female Emigrant’s Guide, an invaluable source of advice, recipes, and anecdotes.

Part of my research even involved following Catharine’s instructions to make lye and tallow, the two key ingredients in soap. Then I used this soap to do laundry. The experiment did not go as planned (my soap was a disaster!). Still, Susanna and Catharine made the beauty and hardship of life in early Canada come alive for me. Although they were staunchly loyal to the Crown, both women faced years of poverty and backbreaking work as their dream of a comfortable, stable life in Canada disintegrated.

Susanna and Catharine weren’t the only personalities who drew me to this time. Thanks to the research of my cousin Eileen, I discovered an amazing personal connection to the rebellion. Six generations back, I had an ancestor, Duncan, who participated in the rebellion as a young man. He was arrested, though later pardoned, thanks to the efforts of his father.

Upper Canada in 1837 fascinates me, not only for its colorful and unforgettable personalities, but also for its rhetoric. As I researched, the diatribes of both rebels and loyalists reminded me of things I read and watch in the world today. My main characters, James and Sara, are people who understand both sides of the issues and who lead with compassion. James, in particular, battles the forces of extremism on either side of the political spectrum. He attempts to walk a line, to show others that solutions and progress come from respectful discussion, compromise, and thoughtful, incremental change.

I hope you will enjoy reading about this little-known slice of Canadian history. I think it’s through conversations like this that we grow in our understanding of the unique history and culture of our respective countries. I was recently chatting with a good friend from Virginia, and she said something that really stuck with me: “I believe more strongly than ever in the need for people to stay connected to one another.”

I hope this story can help us stay connected. Happy reading!

About the Author

Christine Hill Suntz knew she wanted to write as soon as she finished Anne of Green Gables, and she's been lost in her imagination ever since. In 2022, she won the American Christian Fiction Writers’ Genesis Contest and the West Coast Christian Writers Goldie Award. When she's not writing, she teaches high school French and tries out historical recipes on her (mostly) willing family. Follow her adventures in writing and historical farming at christinehillsuntz.com or on Instagram at christinehillsuntz.

About the Book

Widower and lawyer James Kinney isn’t looking for love, and laundress Sara O’Connor doesn’t want to be found. When their paths cross in a British colony on the brink of rebellion, a marriage of convenience may be their best hope of survival.

Did You Know?

Educational Psychologist, Dr. Gary Ladd confirms that “making new friends in the classroom is associated with gains in school performance.” This summer break is a great opportunity to start preparing your child to make new friends when school starts back up in the fall. Here’s some ways all people can work to make friends:

Greet people by their name: How to Win Friends and Influence People author, Dale Carnegie says that a person’s name is “to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language.” When we greet people cheerfully by using their name we make them feel important and valued. Have your child practice smiling, looking someone in the eyes, and giving them a greeting by name.
Give a sincere compliment: Giving a sincere compliment requires first that we observe and listen well to other people. We can practice giving compliments to each other at home. Help your child give compliments that focus on other people’s actions and character, and not just appearances.
Be an includer: Sometimes we can miss out on making new friends, because we just aren’t looking for them. Be conscious and aware of those who might be lonely or left out. Invite a new family over or meet them at the park. Practice meeting new people over the summer, so it’s not an entirely new experience for your child when school starts.

Friends are important for mental health, providing encouragement, support, and care while preventing anxiety, stress, and loneliness. Here’s to a summer full of making new friends and catching up with old ones!

-April Graney, If Jesus Came to My School